Billboard



July 19,1932. R. A. scHORR ET AL BILLBOARD" s Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil'ed April 14, 1930 INVENTORS FA vMo/vo A. ScuoFR A/va PAUL 7?. FRANK @M [JUIB'IIIQBII ATToRriEYs July 19, 1932. R. A. SCHORR ET AL 5 BILLBOARD Filed April 14, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet s 7B4 YMOND Ase/1am? A/va P401. 7?. FkA/VK. BY 8%4 ATTORN 5Y3 Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PA'rs 'r OFFICE RAYMOND A. sononn, or AKRON, AND PAUL a. FRANK, orfctrYAnosA FALLS, 011 BILLBOARD A lication filed April 14,

This invention relates to advertising signs or the like and particularly billboards.

Heretofore, in the posting of advertising, bills, etc. on billboards or the like, the advertising matter is printed on sheets which are pasted on the boards. These sheets are supplied in sections to facilitate handling while pasting and considerable time and labor are involved in scraping awaypreviouslypasted bills and pasting new bills in place thereof, including matching of the sections. Moreover, it is diflicult to make a. very smooth JOb of pasted bills which usually are wrinkled and also become tattered by the elements.

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved billboard construction whereby advertising matter may be quickly applied to or removed therefrom and which will be effectively retained thereon against the action of the elements.

The foregoing and other purposes of the invention are attained in the billboard construction disclosed in the accompanying drawings and described below. It is tobe understood that the invention is not limitedv to the specific form thereof shown and described.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a billboard embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on lines 33 of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a section on line H of Figure Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a frame which may be supported in a vertical position by any suitable means (not shown) on the face of which may be suitably secured a series of sections 11, 11 constituting a panel or backing for the billboard. These sections may be formed of sheet metal or the like, the extreme ends of the end sect-ions being rounded along their vertical edges as at 12, 12 and the intermediate joints between the sections preferably being tongued and grooved as at 13, 13. The extreme edges of the end sections 11 may be secured to the frame as at 1 1 and the joints 1930. Serial No. 444,027.

15, 15 secured to frame 10. This provides a panel through which wind cannot blow to disturb the posted bills.

A frame 16, preferably of hollow sheet being of sheet metal and being adapted to'be swung toward or from the panel. It is desirable to cause these strips to be urgedeither to open positions away from the panel when a bill is posted or to a position against the panel for retaining the edges of the posted bills. To this end tension springs 19, 19 may be so secured at one-end to the frame 16 and at the other to the molding strips 17 in such relation to hinge pins 18 as to hold the strips 17 closed or open (see full and dotted line positions respectively in Figures 2 and 3). The'molding strips 17 are preferably provided with resilient strips 20 of soft material such as rubber along their inner edges to clamp against the posted bill so as to prevent air from blowing in under the same and also preventing access of moisture to the interior of the molding strips.

Arranged at the rear of each end of the billboard are casings 21, 21 having vertical slots 22 in the front thereof through which a bill to be posted 23 may be passed and reels 24 are provided in said casings upon which the ends of the bill 23 may be Wound. The

casings 21 are provided with suitable closures or doors 21 to give access thereto, these doors having suitable locks (not shown). The upper spindle members 25 of these reels may be journaled at their upper ends in bearings 26 and at their lower ends spindle members 25 maybe providedwith' a suitable interlocking connection at 27 with a shaft 28, the latter being journaled in bearings 29 and 30 at the bottoms of casings 21. A spring32 may be arranged in bearing 26 to hold the 13 may be tightly drawn together by L bolts 7 spindle members 25 interlocked with the shaft 28 at 27, this spring preferably being sufiiciently yieldable to permit disengagement of the spindle from the shaft at 27 should removal or replacement of a reel 24' be desired. To facilitate securing of an end of a bill to a reel 24, the latter may have a slot 31 therethrough through which an end of the bill 23 may be drawn sufliciently to be bound on the reel when it is wound thereon (see Figure 2). i)

For rotating reels 24 shafts 28 may be arranged to be driven by securing a gear 32 thereon which may be meshed with a gear 33 on a shaft 34 journaled at 35 so as to extend out of the casing 21 preferably within the frame 16 and terminating at its outer end with a suitable formation 36 to removably receive a crank 37 for rotating the same, an aperture 38 being provided in the frame 16 through which the crank 37 may be engaged on shaft 34.

When the bill to be posted has been secured at one end on a reel 24, it is necessary to prevent unwinding of said reel while the posting of the bill is being completed. Accordingly suitable means may be applied to prevent this and in the embodiment of the invention shown, a ratchet wheel 39 is secured on each shaft 28 and a pawl 40 is arranged to be yieldingly engaged therewith to lock the reel against unwinding, a pin 41 being removably insertable through an aperture in said pawl into a socket (not shown) beneath the pawl in the bottom of casing 16. The pin 41 provides an effective means for avoiding difficulties due to children or others trying to tamper with the equipment since when casings 16 are locked no one can turn shafts 34 with a wrench or other means, if pins 41 are in place.

The bill 23 may be made of any suitable flexible material such as waterproof paper, muslin or other fabric and of suflicient strength and body to permit of its being drawn taut without breakage or uneven stretching.

The mounting of a bill in the improved board is accomplished as follows:

These bills are preferably furnished the bill poster in rolls. He swings the molding strips 17 outwardly to the dotted line positions shown, opens casings 21 and removes pins 41. He then unwinds the reels 24 to release a previously posted bill which he may reroll to take away for disposal or reuse "at some other point. Next he inserts an edge of the bill to be posted through slot 22 into one casing and engages the same in slot 31 of the reel 24, winding somuch of the material of the rolled bill thereon as will properly position the advertising or other matter on the board. He then unrolls the bill across the face of the board inserting the other end thereof through the slot 22 in the other casing, engaging it on the other reel 24 and finally winding said other end of the bill on the last-named reel until the bill is drawn tightly and snugly across the board whereupon he looks the other ratchet 39. He then swings the molding strips 17 closed, reinsert pins 41 in place and locks both casings 21. It will be understood that he either carries a crank 37 with him from one board to another or locks a crack up in one or both casings 21. As will be apparent the bills may be furnished on reels 24 and the latter can replace an empty reel at the board whenthe bill is mounted.

It will appear from the foregoing that the posting of bills is greatly simplified by the invention, all pasting and matching being eliminated. The improved boards are accordingly maintained with much less labor and expense and are more presentable in that paste droppings do not accumulate on or about the same.

Modifications of the invention obviously maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A billboard for outdoor advertising of that type upon which posters are mounted comprising a panel, said panel comprising sections having wind-tight joints therebetween, casings at the side edges of the panel, reels in the casings journaled to rotate on vertical axes, molding strips hinged about the panel to swing open, said casings having slots therein in back of certain molding strips through which the bill may pass, means for rotating the reels, and means for releasably locking the reels to prevent unwinding of the bill therefrom whereby a bill may be removably applied over said panel without adhesives.

,2. A billboard for outdoor advertising of the type upon which posters are mounted comprising a frame, a panel, said panel comprising sections, means for detachably connecting the panel sections together and to said frame, casings at the side edges of the panel, molding strips overlying the edges of the panel, said casings having slots therein in back of certain molding strips, through which a bill may pass, and means within the casings for connection with opposite edges of a bill for retaining the bill tightly stretched over the panel, whereby a bill may be removably applied over said panel Without adhesives.

3. A billboard for outdoor advertising of that type upon which posters are mounted, comprising a panel made up of a plurality of detacha-bly connected sections, casings at the side edges of the panel, reels in the casings journaled to rotate on vertical axes, molding strips hinged about the panel to swing between open and closed positions, means for yieldingly retaining said strips in either of said positions, said strips having resilient material at the free edges thereof for clamping a posted bill against the sectional panel, said casings having slots therein in back of certain molding strips through which the bill may pass, means for rotating the reels, and means for releasably locking the reels to prevent unwinding of the bill therefrom whereby a bill may be removably applied over said panel without adhesives.

4. The combination in a billboard of that type used for outdoor advertising purposes, of a wind-proof panel, housings adjacent opposite edges of said panel, said housings being provided with openings for the passage of a bill, said housings having doors adapted to be locked and permitting access to said housings when unlocked, reels in said housings, said reels being removable and replaceable through said doors, a bill of flexible material overlying said panel, opposite marginal portions of said bill extending through the openings for the bill in said housings and being wound upon said reels to draw said bill snugly against said panel, releasable means in said housings and accessible to be released onl when said doors are unlocked to hold said heels against unwinding rotation, and means for clampin and confinin the marginal portions of said bill which extend between said housings.

5. The combination in a billboard of that type used for outdoor advertising purposes, of a wind-proof panel, housings adjacent opposite edges of said panel, said housings being provided with openings for the passage of a bill, said housings having doors adapted to be locked and permitting access to said housings when unlocked, reels in said housings, a bill of flexible material overlying said panel, opposite marginal portions of said bill extending through the openings for the bill in said housings and being wound upon said reels to draw said bill snuglv against said panel, releasable means in said housings and accessible to be released only when said doors are unlocked to hold said reels against unwindin rotation, and means for clampin and confining the marginal portions of said bill whicii extend between said housings.

6. The combination in a billboard of that type used for outdoor advertising purposes, of a windroof panel, housings a-di acent opposite edges of said panel, said housings being provided with openings for the passage of a bill, said housings having doors adapted to be locked and permitting access to said housings when unlocked, reels in said housings,

a bill of flexible material overlying said panel, opposite marginal portions of said bill extending through the openings for the bill in said housings and being wound upon said reels to draw said bill snugly against said panel, releasable means in said housings and accessible to be released only when said doors are unlocked to hold said reels against unwinding rotation.

RAYMOND A. SCHORR.

PAUL R. FRANK. 

